Honouring young Indian entrepreneurs

Tuesday, 19 Apr 2016

THE 11th edition of the Perdana Young Indian Entrepreneurs Award 2016 (Perdana YIEA) will be back in July at The Armada, Petaling Jaya. The date, however, has not been confirmed.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is expected to attend the awards ceremony, which is jointly organised by the Malaysian Indian Entrepreneur Cooperative (MIEC) and The Social Entrepreneurs Network (SeNet).

The award has been bestowed to personalities such as Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara, Datuk Praba Thiagarajah and Kailesh Sheth in the past.

YIEA has been rebranded as Perdana Young Indian Entrepreneur Award 2016 to reflect its status as an award of high esteem.

Successful young businessmen are encouraged to apply. The deadline for entries is April 30.

Besides the main award for the first three placings, there are an additional 40 awards for those who have excelled in various areas.

MIEC chairman Madhu Marimuthu said 200 applicants were expected to apply for the awards.

He said MIEC would be collaborating with the Secretariat For The Empowerment of the Indian Entrepreneurs (SEED), Socio Economic Development of the Indian Community (SEDIC) under The Prime Minister’s Department and trade associations such as Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI), Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KLSICCI), Malaysian Indian Network of Entrepreneurs (1MINE), Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) and NSIE to ensure quality nominations are received for the award.

“We want to provide a competitive platform for young Indian entrepreneurs to compete in the business arena.

“The awards was introduced so that successful entrepreneurs can share their success stories, inspire others and get the recognition they deserve.

“YIEA is a platform for entrepreneurs between the ages of 25 and 40 who are primarily responsible for the success of their businesses or who have implemented creative measures or methods that result in positive outcomes in their business operations.

“Among the criteria as an entry requirement for Perdana Young Indian Entrepreneur Award nominees are financial performance and company growth, innovative business model, leadership skills, success stories and obstacles as well as social responsibility to the community,’’ he said.

He added that the winners of Perdana YIEA 2016 would have the chance to network and exchange business ideas with other winners and captains of the business community.

“This award will add credibility and value to their organisation.

“The judges comprising prominent businessmen, professionals, and representatives of business associations and accounting firms will review the nominations, evaluate and interview the nominees and select the winners,’’ said Madhu.

MIEC will also reward some 40 Indian entrepreneurs who excel in their areas of expertise through the Industry Excellence Award or Category Award.

Last year, 25 Indian entrepreneurs were recognised under the Industry Excellence Award or Category Award including Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan, fondly known as the “Flying Doctor” for blazing the tracks around Asia.